The intestinal basolateral membrane Ca(2+)-transporting adenosinetriphosphatase is the energy-dependent step in the absorption of dietary Ca2+ by the vitamin D-dependent transcellular pathway. Multiple plasma membrane Ca(2+)-pump isoforms are produced from four genes (PMCA1 to 4) and alternative mRNA splicing. We have studied which isoforms are detectable in adult human and rat gastrointestinal tissues by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, sequencing, and blotting. PMCA1 was the predominant gene product amplified from human small intestinal mucosa, although a minor additional variant lacking the exon at splice site B was detected, which resembled that described for PMCA4. Of the variants described at site C, only the shortest transcript of PMCA1 was amplified; both previously described forms of PMCA4 were found, particularly in colon where PMCA4 predominated. From rat intestinal cDNA, mixed primer PCR amplified PMCA1 and a novel sequence, the rat PMCA4 homologue, which was expressed in many tissues including small intestinal muscle and colon. However, PMCA1 was overwhelmingly predominant in the mucosa of the small intestine, being most abundant in duodenum. These results suggest the involvement of the Ca(2+)-pump isoform PMCA1b in intestinal Ca2+ absorption.